Doug Lewars's Blog, page 40

Kamala's Way: An American Life

Kamala's Way: An American Life by Dan Morain

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

This book was a big disappointment. I didn't really expect to like it because I'm not a fan of Ms. Harris; however, I'm not convinced even most of her fans would enjoy this one. I chose to read it because I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of the thought processes of an individual I believe is likely to become the first female president of the United States - if only because I don't think Joe Biden's health will hold up over this, much less a second term. Unfortunately the book was pretty good as discussing many of the things she did, but fell short of analyzing her strategies and thought processes. It did make clear that while she can be pleasant at times, she is utterly ruthless when it comes to the acquisition of power. How she would handle that power if she got it remains to be seen. If all you want is a list of accomplishments then you might enjoy this book but if you're looking for insight into the true nature of the individual, forget it.



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Scoop

Scoop by Evelyn Waugh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

This book is a little dated seeing as it was published in 1943 but it's still an amusing take on journalists of the time - and some might argue, journalists of the present. It's worth reading.



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The Wolves of London

The Wolves of London by Mark Morris

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

DNF

I can't point to anything particularly objectionable in this work. It just didn't catch my imagination. Some reviews suggest it livens up around page 100. I just couldn't make it that far.



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Lies Sleeping

Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

Once again a fast paced and interesting story - everything I want in a book. As with any fantasy story, the author has to be careful with magic. If his protagonist becomes too powerful the author needs to dream up ever more difficult complications. Therefore most of the serious magic is done off camera. We know there's a big fight going on between two powerful practitioners but the details aren't provided. I enjoy these books because the author has a sense of humour and provides little asides I enjoy. If you've read the series up to here, you'll enjoy this one. If not, I'd advise going back to the beginning and starting there. I think as a standalone book this one would be a little confusing.

The only thing I didn't care for was the ending. it was rather anticlimactic. In addition there were far too many questions left unanswered. Presumably the author is saving some of the details for future books; however, there were a couple of things which didn't make any sense - at least to me. Certainly Leslie wasn't a fan of Mr. Punch. That was hardly surprising; but, failure, frequently resulting from Peter's interference had been going on for any number of books. That Chorley might yet again fail largely as a result of Peter shouldn't have elicited the response it did. Anyway I see that as a minor nit and overall the book was excellent.



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Nightshades #1

Nightshades by Melissa F. Olson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible spoilers ***

Definitely not Twilight.

This was a short book, not much more than a novella but it was fast paced with plenty of action. It's the first of a series and while i enjoyed it, I doubt I'll continue. I expect over time the author intends to flesh the characters out but they were pretty two-dimensional in this one. If you like vampire novels I think this one might be worth reading but what we learn about them is pretty limited. I think the author's world-building with respect to the species needs some work.



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London Falling

London Falling by Paul Cornell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

There is a type of urban fantasy being produced in which there are two levels to society, the one we all know and live in and another, magical, hidden, somewhere below the surface populated with a number of unsavory characters who must be kept in line by a magical police force. In this one, the police start out dealing with reality as it appears to exist and the, as much by accident as anything, they acquire the 'sight'. Having to question their own mental state and understanding of reality they gradually manage to cope. Meanwhile they're faced with a couple of particularly nasty villains.

There was plenty of action although a little to much introspection for my taste. Still, the author kept the story moving and I enjoyed it. This is the first book of a series and I won't be reading further, not because I disliked it but because the publisher has dropped it after three books out of five. I saw a comment from a fan who noted the third book ended in a cliff hanger which will likely never be resolved. Not for me.

If you want a good fantasy story with plenty of action and some impressive villains I recommend this book.



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Neverwhere

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

Great plot, fine pacing, interesting characters, superb villains, but, unfortunately, an unlikable protagonist. Still, missing one out of so many isn't too bad although around the 100 page mark I gave some consideration to DNFing the book. Still, things pick up and Richard, the protagonist becomes almost acceptable by the end. There is enough to like about the book to make it worthwhile should you wish to pursue it.

I did take some small exception with the ending. Frankly I would have written it the same way because the book needs that sort of ending but in reality I doubt Richard, no matter how disengaged with Topside, would have returned to Underside.



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The Hanging

The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

If you've read the Rivers of London series up to here, you know what to expect and this is as good as the earlier books. It's possible to read this one out of order but you'll probably enjoy it more if you have the background which comes from the earlier ones in the series. In fact, even I came across a few things with which I wasn't familiar but that's because I've learned from my one experience that I don't like audio books. In addition I'm not keen on graphic novels either so I took a pass on them.

This one is fast paced, has a number of plot twists, and has a rather open ending so the author can reuse the villain in a future work or maybe several. I'm definitely looking forward to the next on in the series.



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The Wizard of Dark Street

The Wizard of Dark Street by Shawn Thomas Odyssey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

I thought this book was YA and, I guess in one sense it was, but very YA. According to Amazon it's targeted toward the 8 to 13 year old set. The question then becomes, would it work for them? Certainly I found a number of flaws in it but I'm not the one the author is trying to reach. For example, a number of characters are mere cartoon cutouts. The inspector, for one, is portrayed as a bumbling idiot; however, I can see boys in that age range finding his antics hilarious. Likewise girls might be able to relate to the idea of a special ball where everyone wears extra special clothes. Overall, I think the prose might be a little tough for the 8 year olds and some of the slapstick a little to banal for those who are 13 but it's difficult to say. At least the author kept the plot moving for the most part. There were some moments of angst but I suppose such might be well received by some young people. This book wasn't for me and the author didn't intend it to be. I doubt I'll read any more of his books.



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What Abigail Did That Summer

What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

I may have been a little unfair to knock this down to three stars because in terms of the story, it was five, but, unfortunately, the only version I could get my hands on was an audio book and I've come to the conclusion audio books are not for me. Some of the words were garbled. Some sentences, particularly at the beginning of chapters, dropped the first word.

The story is interesting and worth reading but if there are any other books in this series available only in audio format I think I'll skip them. Some people love listening to stories and for them, this is a good one. It's clear Mr. Aaronovitch is planning a different series for Abigail because the ending sets her up to follow an independent path as opposed to being merely Peter's assistant. Whether he gets around to writing it might be a different thing.

Abigail is a strong character although I've encountered some other authors who did better with young protagonists. Still, she's interesting and the plot is entertaining. I just hope further adventures will be more readily available either in print or e-format.



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